Hot Chocolate
by Human Pikachu
Summary: Mary and Rick were opposites. They never spoke to each other, maybe glanced at each other once or twice. Well, over one cup of hot chocolate on a winter day, everything they know about each other is about to change. Oneshot Mary/Rick


Um, hello! I'm Human Pikachu and this is my first fanfiction on here. I don't mind constructive criticism. Reviews are welcomed.

_**PLEASE READ THIS! **_I know Mary/Rick isn't actually a couple, but my brother said they should be, because they both wear glasses. (That's totally unfair. I am nearsighted too. I just wear contacts.) But that gave me a great idea. I hope you enjoy it.

This first part, in italics, is Mary's book. She's reading it.

* * *

_The wind whistled in the night as the two looked at each other, truly and deeply, for the first time. Kylie stared at the man in front of her. She didn't see the tears streaking down his pale face, the deepness in his eyes filled with pangs of sadness the war had left him with. She saw a man with love in his heart, which she had known for her life, and suddenly didn't know him at all._

_"You have?" She whispered, taking her hand and cupping his chin. "This whole time? Why…why did you never tell me? And why now? We've still got the funerals of-of your parents, and my sister, and Master Sakeja-" _

_"I have holes in my heart, now." Jake said. "But you can-_

* * *

"You nerd!" A loud, obnoxious voice startled Mary Brown back to earth literally-with a large thump and ended up sprawled in the dirt. Mary looked up into the face of the girl she hated more than anyone, Karen Rivers.

"You read what you wrote yourself! And you wear those stupid glasses, making you look so ugly, 'cause you read too much!" Karen smirked at the sight of Mary on the ground, and trotted away.

Karen and Mary had nothing in common. In fact, they were complete opposites. Karen was quite attractive and 'curvy' (if you know what I mean) with long, beautiful blond hair and emerald green eyes. She could catch the eye of any boy in town. She wasn't that smart, was extremely bossy (even to her parents), didn't have a job…and was the rudest person you could find out in Mineral Town (with the exception of Saibara on bad days).

Mary was very smart, kind and polite to everyone, read a lot (she ran her own library!), had long black hair that she kept in a braid to keep out snarls, and glasses, because she was nearsighted.

The two got into fights quite frequently

(To phrase that correctly, it was more Karen trying to fight with her).

"Hey…are you okay?" asked a voice nearby.

Mary looked around, and saw a man kneeling next to her. She realized he was Rick, a villager she had passed by often but never spoken too. Popuri spoke of him often; she was his sister. He was dressed in long blue overalls, with a green, baggy long-sleeved shirt. He had shoulder-length sandy blonde hair, black-rimmed glasses, and kind, warm brown eyes. Mary liked those eyes-they reminded her of Elli's, and her mum and dad's. She found herself gazing into them.

"You don't seem to be hurt." Rick said, extending a hand. Mary took it and smiled at him. He pulled and, with his help, Mary stood up. "Just a little shaken, I'm guessing. That was pretty rude of her to do that. You don't have it bad, though," He leaned close to her ear. "She used to wrestle me when we were kids. She doesn't now, though. I think she's scared on how _buff_ I've grown." His eyes twinkled with laughter that he let out and he posed dramatically. "Hey…you want to come in our house?" Mary realized that while she was checking her just-finished novel for errors, it had led her right in front of the Poultry Farm, where Rick lived and worked. "It looks like it will snow, it is cold…you want to have some hot chocolate?"

Mary nodded vigorously. Karen might be nearby. It surprised her on how he could joke about things that made him different, like how he didn't have the appearance of someone strong-he was actually quite scrawny.

"What is that, anyway?" Rick asked, spying the book tucked under Mary's arm.

"It's the book that I've written." Mary replied. "I've been checking it for errors, so I can publish it."

"Wow…" Rick said. "You've written your own book…that's way better than anything I've ever done. I'd come to your library, too, if I would have the time. Every time I get there, it's always closed."

"Well, the hours are ten a.m. to four p.m." Mary told him shyly, readjusting her glasses. She always did something with her glasses when she was nervous. She didn't feel nervous, though… what's happening?

"Ah. That's it. I'm almost always working during that time. I'm always worrying about my mum, that's why I have to watch her. And chickens need so much care, you know? Well…I guess you wouldn't know. Did you know Jack ignores his chickens all the time, that he just lets them die? More often then not I have to get up early and go to the poor thing's funeral."

"My daddy's trying to write a book on plants." Mary said, shaking her head at the mention of the lazy farmer. "He thinks I like it too, that I'll 'follow in his footsteps'. But…I'll tell you this…I don't like plants very much. I want to have something more, I don't know, passionate…like what you have for your little farm of chickens…maybe even a husband."

"Well…we've got several guys to choose from in this fine town." Rick said, laughing. "We've got Gray…he's in a bad mod a lot, like his grandfather, but he'll cheer up if you get to know him. And Cliff, I think he just moved here. He's a pretty good-looking guy, but he's really quiet and shy. Let's see, there's also Doctor, he's really smart, though I hear Elli's pining for him. And Kai…" A shadow crossed Rick's face. "He's handsome, thinks he's very cool, and is…'_smooth_' with the ladies. He…well…Popuri likes him."

"And you…?" Mary asked, giggling.

Rick's face grew red. "Don't consider me as, ah, a potential husband." He said quickly. "It's not good for an image to be with one like me. Especially as a…_husband_. Even just as a friend."

"Oh. Well, here we are now, my reputation is as low as can be already (thanks to Karen), so I don't really care. I like talking to you." Mary said. "Now…are we going to stand in front of this door forever, or are you going to open it?"

"Oh…right." Rick said, pushing open the door. "You can, well, just sit here." His face was still red. Mary giggled. He started busying himself in the kitchen, and tried hard not to look at her.

"You know, I could always come and help you with taking care of the chickens." Mary said. "Nobody comes to the library anyway. It's pretty boring."

"Uh, yeah." Rick said. "Maybe I'll call you. Here's my cell phone number." He grabbed a sticky note, scribbled his number furiously, and tossed it to her. "If we do…maybe we could stop at the Library afterwards?"

"I'd like that. I'd like that very much." Mary said, nodding and smiling at him. She readjusted her glasses.

"I…uh….you're welcome…?" Rick said, sitting down and handing her a cup of hot chocolate. "I hope you like it. I used my own hot chocolate recipe."

"You cook?" Mary asked. "I didn't know that. Well, I guess I don't know much about you." She laughed. "But, I always thought cooking was kind of Doug's and Kai's thing."

"It is. I don't cook very much, but I get recipes from a pen pal who lives in the city." He corrected her. "Her name is Claire. You could write to her too, if you want. Are you going to try it, or what?" He asked, gesturing to the hot chocolate. He took a sip of his own.

"Oh, yes." Mary said, putting the mug to her lips and letting the warm liquid tumble down her throat. "Mmmmmm… wow, delicious. You get your cooking talent from your mom, I suppose? Or does she not know her boy is an excellent cook? Why don't you enter into the Cooking festival?"

Rick smiled at her. "Thank you." He whispered, and then spoke louder. "I only cook when my mom is having a nap or if she's out somewhere." He said. "I don't know why I don't tell her. She'd be delighted-Popuri is not a cook, if you know what I mean- but I just don't want to tell her yet. I think Popuri'd be jealous, you know?"

"I know. That's why I don't let Popuri get any of my party foods." Mary said, nodding. "And how the library is closed for several days after one of her 'little friend parties'. I always get weird sicknesses after I eat her cooking. Did you know that's how I caught tinnitus?"

"Yeah." Rick said, drinking more of his hot chocolate. "You're very easy to talk to, Mary." He paused. "I just hadn't considered you as a potential friend before. I feel very silly saying that now, because here we are, laughing and talking like we're best friends. I thought we were complete opposites."

"We are, kind of, opposites." Mary pointed out. "You are a boy, obviously, and I am a girl. That's not the only thing, though. You have something passionate in your life, while I have to follow what my father says. You actually have a say in what happens in your life. You're best friends with my, uh…arch nemesis. You can cook very well, and I only pass by. I like to read and write. You take care of poultry. I don't have a sister, but both parents. You have a sister, but only one parent."

"What do you mean, I have only one parent?" Rick demanded indignantly. "He's just…he's trying…my dad's finding the flower to heal my mum! He's just gone away, that's all. H-he's fine, I know he is."

"You don't sound very certain." Mary whispered. "It's okay."

"He-is-not-dead." Rick repeated to himself. "I just worry about him, a lot. And my mum. I hope she gets better soon." Tears brimmed in his eyes. "I don't know…she's had this sickness since I was a kid…" He buried his face in his hands. "And Popuri…she's not helping. She doesn't care. She's always rebelling against anything anyone tells her. And I heard her…she's planning to run away…with Kai…to the city. But she doesn't know Kai cheats on her. I've been trying to stop it…"

"It's okay…" Mary laid a hand on his arm.

"It's not okay." Rick said, withdrawing from her touch. He wiped the tears off his face. "I shouldn't act so pathetic while I have guests here. Please excuse my… inexcusable behavior."

Mary got up, walked around the table, and knelt in front of Rick's chair. "It's not pathetic to cry." She whispered. "You've got a heavy weight on your shoulders lately. Just let it out."

Rick threw his arms around her and cried into her shoulder. Mary understood what he was going through and how fortunate she herself was.

A lot of people would have considered this hug awkward, but for some reason, she didn't. She patted his back gently. He eventually quieted down, and stopped clinging to her, rubbing his eyes. She gently sat back down on the floor, looking up at him.

"Thank you." He said, looking down at her and smiling weakly.

And just like that, instinctively, she was pushing herself upwards on her knees and he was leaning down from his chair. Closer they got, until finally, when their lips were just about to touch, their glasses bumped into one another and fell to the ground.

Immediately the two sank to the floor and rummaged around on the ground to find their fallen spectacles.

Mary felt something among the dusty wood. "I've got one!" She cried happily, lifting it high into the air.

There was a scuffle of clothes against wood and warm lips met hers.

Ah, no. The thing she was holding was Rick's hand.

* * *

_H/P_


End file.
